


Begin Again

by Happenstance_and_Balderdash



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banishment, F/M, Fix-It, Rumbelle - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-18 07:39:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3561617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happenstance_and_Balderdash/pseuds/Happenstance_and_Balderdash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Belle has a change of heart after banishing Rumple.  A quick fix-it fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Begin Again

It took a moment before he remembered where he was. And that he was freezing. And covered in forest debris. Standing stiffly and brushing himself off, Rumplestiltskin limped back to the road. He had spent the night on the ground, lost in his own despair. But it was a new day and he had to make a plan. Rubbing his face and pulling his sleeves further down his hands, he looked back toward Storybrooke…

There, not more than a few yards away, was his Belle. His stomach might as well have dropped to his feet at the sight of her. She was sitting on the cold wet grass, knees pulled up to her chest and face buried in her arms. Her hands were clamped so tightly to her own arms that he could see that her fingertips were white. Inches in front of her toes lay his dagger, the damned thing. The sight of it nearly made him ill. He took all of this in within the space of a breath and had taken a tentative step before the full meaning of what he saw hit him. _He could see her_.

“Belle!” he called, voice hoarse as he limped uncertainly toward her. She had banished him and there was deep, raw pain there, but he was more concerned with her at the moment. “Belle, what have you done?”

Her head lifted slowly at the sound of his voice. Belle’s blue eyes were red-rimmed but dry when she lifted her head, though at the sight of him, tears instantly reappeared. “Rumple?” Her voice trembled as she searched his face. “I…” she trailed off. “You can’t come back to Storybrooke.” She said it almost questioningly and shivered with the morning chill.

Rumplestiltskin looked down the apparently-deserted road toward the town he couldn’t see and then back to her. He was beyond confused, and extremely worried for Belle, not knowing what had happened. “That’s right, yes.” All he wanted to do was gather her up and never let her go, show her what he hadn’t been able to explain last night. When she didn’t say anything, he closed the remaining distance until he was only an arm’s length away. It took all he had not to reach out to her, sure she would recoil from the man she had called a beast. It was only then that he realized his cane was laying on the ground behind her. Something in his chest constricted as his eyes snapped back to her face. “Belle?”

She slowly released the grip on her arms, fingers clearly stiff. She looked away from him “I thought you’d left. Thought I’d…” She sniffed and with a clear effort, met his eyes again “Thought I’d lost you.”

Lost? He didn’t dare hope, but in spite of himself, he felt his heart leap with it. “No, I spent the night in…I’m still here.” His eyes searched her face, looking for any sort of clue of her thoughts.

“I crossed the town line, Rumple.” She stood slowly and a little unsteadily, looking up at him, pale and shivering. “I can’t go back either.”

“No”, he agreed.

“There's no magic on this side.”

“No”, he confirmed again.

There was a long pause and then suddenly Bell stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. It was pain and relief at the same time as he returned the embrace, tears stinging his own eyes as he lowered his head and inhaled the scent that was uniquely Belle, a scent he had never thought he’d experience again. His Belle was in his arms and he never wanted to let her go. He was done. Storybrooke could rot. Magic could rot. Bell was all he needed.

For what seemed like forever, they simply stood, content in each other’s arms, before Belle spoke. “What now?” Her voice was muffled against his chest.

“Now…” he wasn’t sure. He had nothing but pocket money and now a cane. “We begin again.”

“Perfect”.

**Author's Note:**

> These two just need a fresh start.
> 
> I'm happendash on tumblr if you feel like stopping by!


End file.
